On the blog since 2009

Tuesday, November 14, 2017

We fished here few years ago,but never catch any fish here.
Anyway,this stream has always been our favourite spot for an escape once in a while...since for more than 10 years,we never meet anybody else come fishing or just hang out at this place.So,we kind of having a private 'jungle spa' just for our self ..
It's strange that such a nice water system it doesn't seem to have big fish...maybe over fishing by the locals upstream or downstream...anyway,its still a hidden retreat..
Here are some pics..

Tuesday, September 5, 2017

The sun came up late this morning.So I went out around 9am to La Venoge and start casting lower river toward the lake.Met another guy also casting.Had some chat with him.It was all in French.But I kinda understand him and he seemed preety convinced that I understood him.He was talking about pike/brochet swim up the river now.He got two strikes and broke his line.By a pike about 2 feet long,according to his measurement shown by his hands.So now he is using wyre leader,and told me to use smaller lure,since my line wont stand a strike by pike.Ok,so I took his advice and use smaller lure,targeting smaller fish like trout,perch or chub.
I was casting until 11 something in the morning and went home.I felt hungry.
Around 3 pm after food and a nap,I went out again.This time I was going upper river.Further than the area I was fishing last Sunday.
I past two guys fishing with bait along the way.One guy is fishing with a long telescopic rod and another guy,older,maybe his father or uncle,just sitting next to him watching.
Further up I passed two young boys fishing,also using bait.One is fishing with a normal rod and spool,and another boy was fishing with a bamboo stick and line.Something I used to use when I was about his age.
I kept on walking upriver,haven't set my rod yet.I want to go further up,to the area that my theory told me is where the trout is lurking around this time of the season...cooler water upstream.
I got a first strike not long after that.It was a small chub.I released it back without taking a picture.
And after that a long and far casting with out a strike.The track along the river was busy that day.It's Sunday so a lot of people jogging,cycling and walk their dogs,and swim their dogs.Which in a couple of occassions,I have to bypass them quite a distance upriver.I don't think fish will strike with dogs swimming around chasing sticks their owners throw accross the river.
Another strike came...another chub,slighly bigger,but not a table size yet to me.Took a picture and threw it back in the water.
And then I pass a small rapid with a stone tower built accross the river.Someone took an effort to cross the rapid to arrange those stones on top of each other...which make me tempted to cast toward that 'tower'.And on the third casts,I got a strike in the middle of the rapid.Quick glance told me it is a trout.And when it came up,it really was a trout.Nothing big to be proud of,but its still a trout,my target species on this river.
I kept going,all the way till I reached the railway track.It was quite,not even a strike anymore.It's getting dark.When I look at the time,it was already 7:30 pm.So I made my way back,along the dimmed lighted track under the trees.
Mission accomplished...

Monday, August 21, 2017

It was a sunny day,with a bit chilly wind...it was about 9am.
Google was kind enough to show me the map of a nearby stream around Lully,not far from Morges,in the canton of Vaud.
I'm not really sure of the direction but it's always the case with new spot,esp. river or small lake.
The journey through apple farm,grapes and peach was lovely, everybody along the way was friendly...'Bonjour' was the only word I repeated along the way.
So I reached this one corner at the end of an apple farm,with some houses in the woods,and I can hear the sweet sound,the sound of running water.So I went in the bush and found a jogging/walking track.This is a good thing in Switzerland,they always have track along a stream,river and lake for recreational use.
And there it is,a nice looking stream,about 3-4 metre wide and with small rapids.From the maps I saw in Google,this stream is called Le Boiron.
It was not long before I spot movement in the water.First I thought it was a trout,but then I notice it has scales,so it must be something else.Few casts here and it just follow and no strike.
I went up river and found a bigger pool.And a bigger fish chase my spinner,but no strike.
So I went down river...once and a while passed by some joggers...'Bonjour' again and again..and strange enough,I was the only one fishing there...I wonder if I need permit here,but I saw many signs sprayed on the trees,fish image in blue color,so I guess this area is fishable.
It passed 3 hours when I first check the time...time flies..and no strike yet...(which is normal if you fish a lot)...until lower river passed the tunnel under a railway track,in a slight deeper pool that I get my first strike,but no hook on.That gave me a little hope and courage.So I went down futher till I reached a bee farm(to make honey I guess)...and from the bank of a big pool I saw 3-4 decent size fish swimming near the surface.So I turned back upper river to find a way to cross to the other side and to find a better place to cast.I must say lure casting here is hard since there are a lot of trees and branches,and 6 feet rod is totally doesn't belong here.Shallow water also doesn't help with dead branches in the river bed.The lure stuck so many times...a bit frustrating.
So I was half squatting on a fallen tree and made the first cast to the pool.And before I reel it in,it get a strong bite and pull, I have to tighten the spool and slowly reel it in,since I wasn't confident enough with the mono line I use on this rod we got from Aldi last year.Back home I use braided line.
After one or two minutes,the fish reached the bank,and just about after 2 feets away from the water,the hook came off,and I have to jump down from the tree to make sure the fish don't get back to the water before a photo session or two.And after a few shots, I released it back to the river..
So here are some pics...

The village of Lully

At the back ground is lake Le Mann/Geneva and Alps,behind the cloud there is the great Mont Blanc,which is on the French side.

The first spot where I arrive,small but as long as there is water,I cast..

The one and only catch of the day..

The disadvantage of fishing alone,you can't get good picture of yourself and the fish.

It's a Chub or Chevaine(French)...swim up the creek from the lake since the water is warmer..

Some views along the way...

I've been told that when the birds get together,summer is coming to the end.These birds will form a big group before they head South to the high plateau in Africa.

After a long day fishing,I make myself some nice pancake with Nutella...

And a week later I went to a another river,which is bigger and known to have trout.The river is le Venoge.I got many strikes,but the fish are too small,and only two landed.One small Chub and one small Perch.And no sign of my target species,Trout.Maybe I have to go further up the river.

Thursday, July 6, 2017

well...more fishing than blogging.The more you catch,the less you want to take pictures or videos,until you come across to an unusual catch,like in this trip...

This Goliath made my knee shaking while reeling it in...it was not the speed,but the force of it's weight.Caught on a mid diving glow in the dark lure, the first thought was the lure is stucked to the coral,and the second thought was a turtle accidently hooked to the lure...until it ran,slowly,then you know that something not too small is at the end of the line.

It's bigger than me...

What keep an angler casting all day long?Hope...faith...believe...and experiences...it happened many times before so it will happen again.

Queen on a popper...

This GT took the popper when the lure almost reaches the boat...it came fast from the dark deeper part of the sea cliff and gave a firm strike on the popper.

This very same spot has seen two bigger GT s escaped with the lures.On the first trip, it broke the 60lbs braided main line and on the second trip, it broke the 100lbs wyre leader!!

This time, Pakcik the boat men reversed the boat so the Speedo don't get to run to the rocks and breaks the line again.